Policies

The Career Center requires both students and employers to adhere to strict policies regarding ethical job search conduct.

The Ethical Job Search Student Contract (below) discusses the Career Center’s policies regarding the cancellation of interviews and offer acceptance as part of our on-campus recruiting program, while the Employer Job Offer Policy informs recruiters about the necessary amount of time that students must be given to consider job and internship offers.

Ethical Job Search Student Contract

The Career Center at Colby College requires students who are engaged in a career or job search to conduct themselves in an ethical manner reflecting the policies and expectations put forth in the student handbook’s “Code of Conduct” and Colby’s Affirmation statement (see the Colby course catalogue).

The Career Center takes this seriously and requires all students who use its services to sign a contract that outlines expectations and consequences. The “Ethical Job Search Student Contract” can be downloaded here, or via the Colby CareerLink system in the “Document Library” under the “Resources” tab.

Policies and Procedures for an Ethical Job Search

Colby College students will:

1) Attend all meetings, interviews, and other job related commitments and obligations:

On-Campus Interviews:

Students will honor all interview commitments by being on time, prepared, and professional in their actions. Students not honoring an interviewing commitment will be considered a No-Show.

Canceling an on-campus interview must be done before the interview schedule “Sign Up End Date” on the Colby CareerLink system – typically 48-72 hours before the interview (varies by employer, check on Colby CareerLink). If a student cancels after an interview schedule is closed (or “freezes”), and does not attend the interview, that student will be considered a No-Show. Notifying the employer after the freeze date does not exempt you from this policy – please call the Career Center at 207-859-4140 if you have an issue with a scheduled interview.

Canceling an on-campus interview due to your attendance at an on-site (at the employer)/final round interview should be done 48 hours prior to the on-campus interview by contacting the company contact and Career Center. Failure to do so will result in the student being considered a No-Show for the on-campus interview.

Canceling an on-site (at the employer)/final round interview must be done 72 hours prior to the visit by calling and emailing the company contact person. This allows companies to fill the interview slot with another candidate. Canceling after the 72 hour window has passed and not attending the on-site interview will result in the student being considered a No-Show.

Commitments and Obligations:

If a student has arranged a meeting or phone call with an employer, The Career Center expects the student to honor these commitments by being prepared, professional, and on-time.

If an employer has requested information, attendance at a function, an answer to an offer, etc., the Career Center expects that a student will honor all reasonable requests to the best of their ability and in a timely fashion.

2) Represent Oneself Professionally in all Recruiting Practices:

The following are practices to be be followed as students begin the job search process:

Provide accurate information on a resume and in answers to interview questions regarding academic background, GPA, work history, activities, and other qualifications.

Apply for interviews only when genuinely interested in the company and the position.

Dress and conduct oneself in a professional manner befitting a Colby College student.

3) Act Ethically When Accepting Offers of Employment:

When accepting an offer of full-time employment or an internship (either paid or unpaid), one must have every intention of honoring that commitment. If a student accepts an offer of employment, admission to a graduate or professional school, or other post-graduate career opportunity, he/she must withdraw from the recruiting process immediately. This includes but is not limited to:

Not applying to future job postings

Declining all future interview invitations

Canceling any active applications

Contacting all recruiters to inform them of your wish to be removed from the interviewing and recruitment process (this includes all scheduled interviews).

Students who renege on an offer of employment may be deactivated from Colby CareerLink.

If you feel a company has not provided you enough time to accept an offer of employment (please see the Employer Job Offer Policy for employer guidelines), please contact the Career Center either in person or by calling 207-859-4140.

The Career Center No-Show Policy

Students who fail to attend a scheduled interview or fail to cancel an interview within the timeline parameters stated in the Ethical Job Search Contract will be considered a NO-SHOW for that interview. The following details the steps the Career Center will take, student obligations, and potential consequences. Please note that until a final decision is made concerning your missed interview, students are expected to meet interview obligations for which you are already or may be scheduled through the on-campus recruiting program.

If a student is a No-Show for a scheduled interview, noted either by the employer or by the Career Center, that student’s Colby CareerLink account will be deactivated immediately – thus preventing that student from applying to any jobs or signing up for any additional interviews.

To be reinstated on the Colby CareerLlink system, the student will need to:

Meet with a Career Center Staff member to request reinstatement, bringing the Missed Interview Explanation Form and e-mail apology draft to the scheduled meeting

Send the e-mail apology to the employer within 24-hours of your meeting with the Career Center, and copy (cc:) the staff member with whom you met

The Career Center Director will review the Missed Interview Explanation Form and make a final determination on a student’s status.

An excused absence indicates a compelling reason for the absence (serious illness, family emergency); documentation of the emergency may be required. If the missed interview is deemed an excused absence, the student will be reinstated on the Colby CareerLink system.

An unexcused absence may be an absence for a non-compelling reason (copied the wrong date or time, overslept, simply forgot about the interview), or it may be for a compelling reason but no corroborating evidence was provided.

First Offense: The first unexcused missed interview will result in loss of application/scheduling privileges for seven (7) calendar days. During this period, a student’s Colby CareerLink account will be deactivated, preventing one from applying for positions or responding to companies who extend offers for interviews. Students will be expected to meet interview obligations previously scheduled prior to account deactivation.

Second Offense: The second unexcused absence will result in permanent suspension from all on-campus recruiting activities for the remainder of the academic year.

This contract is in place to protect your rights during the recruitment process as well as to continue the strong reputation Colby College students enjoy with employers who recruit through the Career Center. Please read through all materials carefully. The Career Center would like to thank you for agreeing to honor this contract of job search ethics and looks forward to assisting you during your career search.